Technology Transfer

World Trade Organization (WTO) particpants created the the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) in December 1996, which eliminated tariffs on specific technology product exports. From 2012 to 2015, WTO participants negotiated how to expand the ITA to cover additional technologies.

In July 2012, the European Union requested that the European Commission study the future of RPAS in Europe and how to integrate civil and commerical remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, a type of unmanned aircraft system, also called drones) into the European Aviation System. This document outlines the benefits for consumers and recommends the regulatory actions needed to expand use of drone technology beyond military uses.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter released a policy for setting controls on transferring U.S. arms, except for countries with whom the United States had defense treaties. The policy requires an evaluation of a country's human rights record and the economic impact such transfers would have on countries receiving U.S. economic assistance. In February 1995, President Bill Clinton approved a classified policy which included restraints for arms transfers that may be destabilize or threaten to regional peace and security. In January 2014, President Barack Obama updated the policy again with Presidential Policy Directive 27 (PPD-27), to state more clearly the criteria for arms transfer decisions and the transfer of technical data and related services.

This report was published in June 2013 and discusses recommendations for governments to use information and communications technologies (ICTs) promote peace and stability and combat malicious uses of ICTs.

In July 2012, the European Union requested that the European Commission study the future of RPAS in Europe and how to integrate civil and commerical remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, a type of unmanned aircraft system, also called drones) into the European Aviation System and to prepare regulation for implementation by 2016. The commission released a roadmap in June 2013 and, on April 8, 2014, sent to the EU recommended actions for implementing regulation on civilian drone use. The European Commission also requested a report from independent organizations to study privacy concerns associated with civil use of drones.

Ford Motor Company recently announced it will sell its Jaguar and Land Rover divisions to India's Tata Group. In this Wall Street Journal op-ed Matthew Slaughter argues that such foreign direct investment has long been a source of strength for the American economy. American policy makers should strive to make the U.S. a premier location for the dynamic, high-productivity activities of globally engaged companies—both insourcing companies and U.S. multinationals alike.

Tackling climate change will involve fundamental economic restructuring of the world's systems of energy production, of transportation, of manufacturing, of resource extraction and harvesting. The International Institute for Sustainable Development writes a scoping paper for the Trade Ministers' Dialogue on Climate Change.

2015 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2015 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »